§ 6-1520. Transcript and bill of exceptions checkout.

Any bill of exceptions prepared for appeal of a case to the Supreme Court or Court of Appeals and filed in the office of the clerk of the district court shall be made available for checkout to an attorney of record for a period of 30 days. A receipt shall be signed for such record and left with the clerk. If counsel is notified by the clerk of the district court within the 30-day checkout period that the bill of exceptions is required for filing with the appellate courts pursuant to Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-105(B)(3), the attorney shall immediately return the record to the clerk of the district court.

In the event that a brief date extension is requested by counsel of record pursuant to Neb. Ct. R. App. P. § 2-109, and the same is granted, the clerk of the district court shall afford counsel additional time to retain such bill of exceptions to complete the appellate brief. Such additional time shall be for either (1) a period not to exceed the date established as the Final Brief Date in the appellate court order or (2) a period of 30 days if no Final Brief Date is set therein. A copy of such extension request and order granting the same shall be sent to the clerk of the district court by counsel making such request.

Any litigant is entitled to inspect the original transcript and bill of exceptions in his or her case at the office of the clerk of the trial court. Transcripts and bills of exceptions shall not be checked out to litigants. Any nonincarcerated litigant is entitled to obtain a copy of his or her transcript or bill of exceptions by filing a written request with the clerk of the trial court. A copy of the transcript shall be prepared by the clerk of the trial court and a copy of the bill of exceptions shall be prepared at litigant’s cost unless the litigant has been allowed to proceed in forma pauperis in the action in which the request for a record has been made. Except for good cause shown, any additional copies of the transcript and/or the bill of exceptions once provided to a litigant on an in forma pauperis basis shall be prepared at the litigant’s costs.

When a request is made to the clerk of the trial court for a transcript of pleadings by or on behalf of any incarcerated person, the clerk of the trial court shall prepare two copies, one to be filed in the court to which the matter is being appealed and one to be sent to the incarcerated person at the correctional center where he or she resides. The cost shall be paid by the person making the request unless the person has been allowed to proceed in forma pauperis in the action in which the request for a record has been made. Except for good cause shown, any additional copies of the transcript once provided to a litigant on an in forma pauperis basis shall be prepared at the litigant’s cost.

When a request is made by or on behalf of any incarcerated person for a bill of exceptions, "court reporting personnel," as defined by Neb. Ct. R. § 1-204(A)(1), shall prepare or have prepared the original to be filed with the clerk of the trial court. Court reporting personnel shall also prepare or have prepared a duplicate copy at the statutory rate for copies and send it to the incarcerated person at the correctional center where he or she resides. The copy shall contain the index of exhibits but shall not include exhibits. The cost shall be paid by the person making the request unless that person has been allowed to proceed in forma pauperis in the action in which the request for a record has been made. Except for good cause shown, any additional copies of the bill of exceptions once provided to a litigant on an in forma pauperis basis shall be prepared at the litigant’s cost. An incarcerated person may request copies of exhibits by filing a motion with the court having jurisdiction of the case.

Where a request for a copy of a transcript or a bill of exceptions is made on an in forma pauperis basis and an action is not pending, good cause must be shown by the litigant making the request for the necessity of a copy. A copy shall be provided only upon an order of the court.